Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.

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Can life be a blessing?

Introduction

At this period the rival theatre company was run by Thomas Betterton at Lincoln’s Inn Fields, with music mainly supplied by John Eccles. Eccles’s simple but effective song ‘Can life be a blessing?’ seems to have been written for an unrecorded production of Dryden’s adaptation of Troilus and Cressida around 1695, when the play was republished.

Recordings

'The Parley of Instruments, Rachel Brown, director Peter Holman and the Hyperion recording team all deserve applause' (Gramophone)'With the programme arranged by play rather than chronology, creating an alluring stylistic variety within its 100-or-so-year span, and excellent soun ...» More

Details

Can life be a blessing or worth the possessing, Can life be a blessing if love were away? Ah no, though our love all night keeps us waking, And though he torment us with cares all the day, Yet he sweetens our pains in the taking; There’s an hour at the last, there’s an hour to repay.

In every possessing the ravishing blessing, In every possessing the fruit of our pain. Poor lovers forget long ages of anguish, What e’re they have suffered and done to obtain; ’Tis a pleasure to sigh and to languish When we hope to be happy again.